Cannabis factory found in house

PCSOs Rebecca Weaver and Garath Reynolds at the cannabis factory discovered in Greenham Walk, Park North

A SOPHISTICATED cannabis factory was uncovered in Park North on Tuesday after police were called to reports of a burglary.

Neighbours in Greenham Walk alerted police when they saw a break-in at the residential address, but when officers arrived they found the house was unoccupied and its rooms were filled with 23 cannabis plants in the process of cultivation.

The yield for the harvest, believed to be the second carried out at the address, is thought to be in the region of £14,000.

The living room had been converted into a factory, with plants being grown within a white tent among fans and specialised lights.

During the burglary a number of the cannabis plants and a television was stolen from the house.

A man and a woman, both in their 50s, from the Swindon area, have been bailed while inquiries continue.

PC Rachel Barnett, of the East Swindon neighbourhood policing team, said: “The farm was uncovered on Tuesday morning after police attended the address for a different matter and found the householder at the address with 23 plants, worth around £14,000.

“They were all in the process of cultivation. “We were called to reports of a burglary which was phoned in by a neighbour.

“It is possible that one or two plants were taken in the burglary and a TV was stolen. It was not this person’s lucky day.

“Two people have now been bailed in relation to the matter. A man in his 50s was arrested and a woman in her 50s, his partner, has been questioned. “We are continuing our investigations.

“This operation was very sophisticated. It was the second harvest that was being farmed, and the one previously grown was around 1kg in weight.

“These are more vine-type plants than the ones we usually see, and were growing up the walls rather than in buds. “The electricity to the property had been rerouted for the operation.”

Neighbours have been informed of the discovery while the investigation continues.

“The householders were not living there at the time, and were residing at a different address,” said PC Barnett. “We have been speaking to neighbours and doing house to house inquiries. “They were all blissfully unaware of what was going on in this property.

“The community have been shocked by the discovery. There are a lot of older people living in the area and it is quite scary for them really.

“Inquiries are ongoing and we would ask anyone with any information about this address to contact the neighbourhood policing team on 101.”